Woodbridge to DC and housing (Alexandria, Franconia: house insurance, house, school districts)

[reiliz]

Hello to any all who view this post. I am considering a move to work in DC from South Florida. I will tell you that our property taxes have been raised significantly and our house insurance is in crisis (windstorm / hurricane insurance make it very costly).

I am a Federal employee and will be based in DC (China town Gallery plaza). I would like someone to give me insight into housing in the NOVA area, as well as, commuting into DC using something called VRE.

With repect to housing, I understand that the whole country is in a slump, my hope is that I will be able to get a some bang for buck four or five years down the line. I anticipate that the 400 - 430k is my price range.

Commuting, I am more than willing to hear any horror stories because, I am primarily making this move for my 3 year old. The school system in Florida is just bad. I will as we all do, sacrifice for the sake of my child. I definitely want a good school system wherever I move.

The Maryland prices seem a little high, and I was hoping that this area would give me the best of both worlds.

Thank you in advance for your input.

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by reiliz

Hello to any all who view this post. I am considering a move to work in DC from South Florida. I will tell you that our property taxes have been raised significantly and our house insurance is in crisis (windstorm / hurricane insurance make it very costly).

I am a Federal employee and will be based in DC (China town Gallery plaza). I would like someone to give me insight into housing in the NOVA area, as well as, commuting into DC using something called VRE.

With repect to housing, I understand that the whole country is in a slump, my hope is that I will be able to get a some bang for buck four or five years down the line. I anticipate that the 400 - 430k is my price range.

Commuting, I am more than willing to hear any horror stories because, I am primarily making this move for my 3 year old. The school system in Florida is just bad. I will as we all do, sacrifice for the sake of my child. I definitely want a good school system wherever I move.

The Maryland prices seem a little high, and I was hoping that this area would give me the best of both worlds.

Thank you in advance for your input.

If you're talking VRE - Virginia Railway Express, Virginia Railway Express Home Page, then your commute won't be a horror story at all. It's only miserable when you try to drive up I-95 as a single passenger auto driver. And then, yes, it's VERY miserable. Kudos for knowing to investigate VRE - you should also consider OmniRide bus/coach service from Woodbridge/Lake Ridge to DC, which is at PRTC - The Ride That's Right For You.

As for areas, in the eastern part of Prince William County, Woodbridge HS - actually in Lake Ridge, a subset of Woodbridge in zip code 22192 - is widely considered the best of the bunch. I think you'll be pleased with schools in that district, and of schools in the NoVA area generally. Other school districts in Woodbridge aren't considered as nice - Forest Park and Gar-Field come to mind. They're not horrible, but I think you'll be better satisfied with Woodbridge HS and its feeder elementary and middle schools.

In order to do that, I would make sure to look first and foremost in zip code 22192, Lake Ridge/Woodbridge. There are some really nice single family homes that you should be able to find in your 400-430k price range; in fact you're spot on what price range you should be looking in, in that area.

Welcome, in advance, to Prince William County!

[MovefromFla]

Hello, knopfler
I have heard the horror stories about I-95 as a single passenger. What if I am commutting to Alexandria from Lake Ridge as a single passenger. Is it doable at all? I am thinking maybe an hour commutte as a single passenger from Lake Ridge to Eisenhower in Alexandria.. Am I dreaming?

Thanks

[jnestorr]

Originally Posted by MovefromFla

Hello, knopfler
I have heard the horror stories about I-95 as a single passenger. What if I am commutting to Alexandria from Lake Ridge as a single passenger. Is it doable at all? I am thinking maybe an hour commutte as a single passenger from Lake Ridge to Eisenhower in Alexandria.. Am I dreaming?

Thanks

Lake ridge to Eisenhower wouldn't be so bad........probably something like 45 minutes on 95, possibly more. You might wanna shop for a house around Franconia-Springfield. They have a metro stop right by that area or even if you have to drive to Eisenhower, you will be going against the traffic since all the I95 traffic spreads out @ springfield interchange/pretty much franconia-springfield area.

[MovefromFla]

Great!!! I needed to hear that. My husband will actually be working in Woodbridge, so we already opted for a place in Lake Ridge.

Other than mapquest, and yahoo maps, and the navigator, what do you think will be the least traffic infested way to go??
I-95 to 495 to Eisenhower.. or get off at Franconia Exit and go local to Eisenhower?
Thanks!

[pcity]

Originally Posted by MovefromFla

Great!!! I needed to hear that. My husband will actually be working in Woodbridge, so we already opted for a place in Lake Ridge.

Other than mapquest, and yahoo maps, and the navigator, what do you think will be the least traffic infested way to go??
I-95 to 495 to Eisenhower.. or get off at Franconia Exit and go local to Eisenhower?
Thanks!

The Beltway going east into Alexandria isn't awful in the mornings. It's the portion of 95 from Woodbridge to Springfield that you have to worry about. I don't think the local roads (Rt. 1/Telegraph/Beulah/Van Dorn) would be any better at that time of day, but they might be worth a shot if 95 is really bad.

[MovefromFla]

Thank you!!!!

[jnestorr]

Originally Posted by MovefromFla

Great!!! I needed to hear that. My husband will actually be working in Woodbridge, so we already opted for a place in Lake Ridge.

Other than mapquest, and yahoo maps, and the navigator, what do you think will be the least traffic infested way to go??
I-95 to 495 to Eisenhower.. or get off at Franconia Exit and go local to Eisenhower?
Thanks!

Lake ridge--->Woodbridge, very easy commute! Lake ridge--->Eisenhower! Have fun listen to whole lot of radio. It ready doesn't matter if you take the back roads or I-95 str8 to Eisenhower. I believe there are quite a few people that drive that way to catch metro.

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by reiliz

Hello to any all who view this post. I am considering a move to work in DC from South Florida. I will tell you that our property taxes have been raised significantly and our house insurance is in crisis (windstorm / hurricane insurance make it very costly).

I am a Federal employee and will be based in DC (China town Gallery plaza). I would like someone to give me insight into housing in the NOVA area, as well as, commuting into DC using something called VRE.

With repect to housing, I understand that the whole country is in a slump, my hope is that I will be able to get a some bang for buck four or five years down the line. I anticipate that the 400 - 430k is my price range.

Commuting, I am more than willing to hear any horror stories because, I am primarily making this move for my 3 year old. The school system in Florida is just bad. I will as we all do, sacrifice for the sake of my child. I definitely want a good school system wherever I move.

The Maryland prices seem a little high, and I was hoping that this area would give me the best of both worlds.

Thank you in advance for your input.

I think you will like Northern VA better than South Florida. China Town is an awesome place to work and has killer food. Commuting does suck here though, but that's what you get for a better school system and money (just fyi, i would stick with Fairfax or western Prince William. Lake Ridge is about the only place in eastern Prince William I would pick).

[reiliz]

Thank you to knopfler. I have not made a decision yet, but as a child of NYC I am more than ok with any form of Public Transportation. One question though if you please; I see that the VRE will leave me two stops away from Chinatown while the PRTC OmniRide leaves me at a completely different color Metroline. Would the VRE be the best choice in this scenario?